Mucuna Pruriens

Description : The plant is an annual climbing shrub with long vines that can reach over 15 m in length. When the plant is young, it is almost completely covered with fuzzy hairs, but when older, it is almost completely free of hairs. The leaves are tripinnate, ovate, reverse ovate, rhombus-shaped or widely ovate. The sides of the leaves are often heavily grooved and the tips are pointy. In youngM.pruriens plants, both sides of the leaves have hairs. The stems of the leaflets are two to three millimeters long. Additional adjacent leaves are present and are about 5 mm long.

The flower heads take the form of axially arrayed panicles. They are 15 to 32 cm long and have two or three, or many flowers. The accompanying leaves are about 12.5 mm long, the flower stand axes are from 2.5 to 5 mm. The bell is 7.5 to 9 mm long and silky. The sepals are longer or of the same length as the shuttles. The crown is purplish or white. The flag is 1.5 mm long. The wings are 2.5 to 3.8 cm long.

In the fruit ripening stage, a 4 to 13 cm-long, 1 to 2 cm-wide, unwinged, leguminous fruit develops. There is a ridge along the length of the fruit. The husk is very hairy and carries up to seven seeds. The seeds are flattened uniform ellipsoids, 1 to 1.9 cm long, 0.8 to 1.3 cm wide and 4 to 6.5 cm thick. The hilum, the base of the funiculus (connection between placenta and plant seeds) is a surrounded by a significant arillus (fleshy seed shell).

M.pruriens bears white, lavender, or purple flowers. Its seed pods are about 10 cm long and are covered in loose, orange hairs that cause a severe itch if they come in contact with skin. The itch is caused by a protein known as mucunain. The seeds are shiny black or brown drift seeds.

The dry weight of the seeds is 55 to 85 g/100 seeds.

Uses : The roots are bitter, sweet thermogenic emollient, stimulant, purgative, aphrodisiac, diuretic. The leaves are aphrodisiac. The seeds are astringent, laxative, anthelmentic, alexipharmic and tonic.

In many parts of the world, Mucuna pruriens is used as an important forage, fallow and green manure crop. Since the plant is a legume, it fixes nitrogen and fertilizes soil.

M. pruriens is a widespread fodder plant in the tropics. To that end, the whole plant is fed to animals as silage, dried hay or dried seeds. M. pruriens silage contains 11-23% crude protein, 35-40% crude fiber, and the dried beans 20-35% crude protein. It also has use in the countries of Benin and Vietnam as a biological control for problematicImperata cylindrica grass. M. pruriens is said to not be invasive outside its cultivated area. However, the plant is known to be invasive within conservation areas of South Florida, where it frequently invades disturbed land and rockland hammock edge habitats.

M. pruriens is sometimes used as a coffee substitute called “Nescafe” (not to be confused with the commercial brand Nescafé). Cooked fresh shoots or beans can also be eaten. This requires that they be soaked from at least 30 minutes to 48 hours in advance of cooking, or the water changed up to several times during cooking, since the plant can be toxic to humans. The soaking leaches out the L-DOPA, making the product more suitable for consumption. If consumed in large quantities, unprocessed M. pruriens is toxic to non-ruminant mammals, including humans.

Product Offered : Black Seeds, White Seeds

Benefits : 

    • Supports a healthy central & peripheral nervous system*
    • Maximizes the body’s ability to handle stress*
    • Is a natural source of levodopa (L-dopa)*
    • Supports physical balance & posture*
    • Promotes healthy motor skills & coordination*
    • Improves energy & endurance*
    • Supports the intellect*
    • Bolsters libido*
  • Revitalizes both the male & female reproductive systems*

Natural Extracts

Mucuna Pruriens

Botanical Name : : MUCUNA PRURIENS

Family Name: : FABACEACE

Common Name: : COWITCH, COMMON COWITCH, KONCH

Part Used : Roots,Seeds, Leaves

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